Totally Tae Kwon Do Magazine - Issue 27

Issue 27 

- Totally Tae Kwon Do 

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The Free Global Tae Kwon Do Magazine 

Totally TKD News 

Supreme Master Kim, Bok Man Interview 

Brazilian School Teaches TKD 

The Evolution Of TaeKwon Do Poomse & Tul 

Elbow Attack - Triceps Entry 

Thoughts On Double Forearm Block 

100 Taekwon-Do Taekwon Do Things To Be Happy About 

The Efficiency Of Movement 

What's The Point: Tong-Il Tong Il Moves 41 & 42 

Interpretation of Kukki Taekwondo Patterns 

Physiological Responses Of Children To 

Exercise (4) 

Taeguk 8: Arm Trap To Rolling Back Fist 

Totally TKD Wants You 

Submission Guidelines 

May 2011

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Copyright © 2011 Author of article 

2 - Totally Tae Kwon Do 

I trust everyone ‘got’ that there were a 

few April Fools jokes in the last issue. 

Aprils Fools or their equivalents are a tradition in many 

countries, but most surprising of all was that I found out that 

even the Joseon Dynasty of Korea celebrated such a day as 

well! I must admit, early postings on Facebook etc. had me 

in stitches, with people asking if the 5 year old master was 

actually true or if the Hogu change was a joke or not. 

This months issue see’s us concluding Tristan Vardy’s 

excellent series of articles relating to children and exercise, 

which I think you`ll agree has been a well researched and 

informative piece throughout. 

Also in this issue, Master Doug Cook’s excellent article on 

the Evolution of Tae Kwon Do Poomse, Hyung & Tul is 

another insightful piece, so sit back with a coffee and enjoy 

his latest offering. 

Talking of patterns in this issue we see more and more 

‘application of patterns’ type articles - which to me is a great 

thing as, apart from maybe opening a few eyes of those that 

haven't got the memo yet, they offer alternatives to those 

that practice certain sets of patterns or poomse. What's also 

great is that they come from both sides of the (same) coin, 

so no matter your system, your forms can be more than the 

sum of their parts. 

I haven't been lazy throughout April myself either, as 

amongst other things I conducted an interview with one of 

the most senior Tae Kwon Do Masters on the planet, which 

you can also read in this issue. 

For this issue I asked for the help of some of our readers on 

certain tasks, using the Facebook page of the mag and in 

the true spirit of the arts, I received offers to help straight 

away - which I thought was pretty cool - so thanks everyone. 

Suffice to say, it has changed one of the ‘Submission 

Guidelines’ (No.2 actually), so please be sure to check it out 

and send us your article, even if you are a little camera shy, 

as others are more than willing to help out on the picture 

side. Plus we have another ‘special’ (and useful) item 

coming very shortly thanks to a facebook request. 

Enjoy this months offerings and keep 

sending them in. 

Regards, 

Editorial 

Issue 27 - May 2011 

Stuart Anslow 

Editor

Issue 27 Contents 

Totally TKD News Page 4 

Supreme Master Kim, Bok Man Interview Page 11 

Brazilian School Teaches TKD Page 25 

The Evolution Of Tae Kwon Do Poomse & Tul Page 27 

Elbow Attack - Triceps Entry Page 35 

Thoughts On Double Forearm Block Page 37 

100 Taekwon-Do Things To Be Happy About Page 41 

The Efficiency Of Movement Page 45 

What's The Point: Tong-Il Moves 41 & 42 Page 47 

Interpretation of Kukki Taekwondo Patterns Page 49 

Physiological Responses Of Children To Exercise (4) Page 55 

Taeguk 8: Arm Trap To Rolling Back Fist Page 59 

Totally TKD Wants You Page 61 

Submission Guidelines Page 63 

Cover Design: Mickey Lozano 

Contributors: Supreme Master Kim, Bok Man, Master Doug Cook, 

Master Nate Doggett, Master George Vitale, Master Dennis ‘Mac’ McHenry, 

Dr. Ubong Umoh, Elaina McHenry, Richard Conceicao, Paul O’Leary, 

Henry Anchando, Sanko Lewis, Tristan Vardy, Brad Shipp, Patricia DeArmas, 

Marcio Cruz Nunes de Carvalho, Dr. Ricardo Pardo, GB Taekwondo, 

Steve Bond & Stuart Anslow 

Totally Tae Kwon Do - 3


Totally TKD News 

Amazon.com Drops 

Top 100 Taekwondo Book List 

It was recently brought to the attention of 

Totally Tae Kwon Do magazine that 

Amazon.com (the US Amazon) has 

recently drop the Top 100 listings for 

traditional (and non-traditional) martial arts 

books, this of course includes books on 

Tae Kwon do. 

Originally Tae Kwon Do books were listed 

by dividing up the martial arts book 

categories into their respective arts ie. 

Books/Sports/Individua Sports/Martial Arts/ 

Taekwondo where the top 100 most 

popular would be listed, making it a one 

stop shop for thousands of Taekwondo 

enthusiasts. 

Now however, the listings stop at ‘/martial 

arts’ and all books, including Taekwondo 

ones are lumped together, making it much 

more difficult to finds books of our art 

unless you specifically know the titles or 

particular authors names and search, its 

also now hard to know just which ones are 

popular and thus (usually) a worthy 

purchase. 

What's more, no authors were made aware 

of this as far as we know, so many Tae 

Kwon Do authors, including those that 

write for this very magazine do not have a 

listing category at all and are advised to 

check! 

Other Amazon’s are still using the 

‘Taekwondo’ listing category, but as 

Amazon.com seem to set the trends for all 

Amazon sites across the globe, it stands to 

reason that others may follow suit 

eventually and the category will be lost for 

ever. 

We ask readers of the magazine to help by 

contacting Amazon.com’s customer 

services and asking for the ‘Top 100 

Taekwondo Books’ list to be reinstated 

(along with the the separate Top 100 

Martial Arts book categories). 

You can contact Amazon.com via their web 

site by email or phone and you do not have 

to have an Amazon.com account to do so! 

Korea Test 

For GB Stars 

Performance Director Gary Hall is 

optimistic his Great Britain squad can 

produce a best ever performance at the 

WTF World Championship starting in 

South Korea on Sunday. Indeed, with 2008 

Olympic bronze medallist Sarah Stevenson 

and world number three Bianca 

Walkden back in the team after recent 

family issues and injury respectively, Hall 

has every reason to feel confident. And 

nothing would give his confident squad 

more pleasure than impressing in the 

spiritual home of taekwondo. 

"This is an exciting time for us now” agrees 

Hall who flew with his charges to Seoul 

before transferring to Gyeongju. "I would 

say we are in a better position now than we 

were for the last World Championship in 

Copenhagen two years ago. Everyone is 

excited by what can happen. Most of them 

are in the medal zone and it's probably the

first time we've had that. I couldn't discount 

anyone of them going into the striking zone 

for the podium." 

“Stevenson missed the US and German 

Opens because of difficult personal 

problems. However, Hall says Britain's 

most successful taekwondo player is 

focused on adding to her European 

title. Sarah has had well documented 

challenges and issues she has dealt with. 

But she has done an exceptional job. Last 

week at our training camp she trenched the 

field, including a European champion from 

France in a different weight category.. To 

see that from Sarah is really refreshing." 

“There is less expectation with Liverpudlian 

Walkden who only recently returned to 

training after knee surgery. However, just 

the presence of the bubbly European 

Championship bronze medallist in the 

squad is a boost for her team mates. And 

Hall can't wait to unleash his squad in 

taekwondo's recognised birthplace. It's the 

Koreans National sport so they are going 

to be difficult to beat on their home soil" he 

agrees, "But we have quality in our team 

that can beat them.” 

"The Koreans are under a lot of pressure 

so let's see how they handle that. We are 

in good shape with no fears." However, 

Hall agrees there is also increased 

pressure on the Brits, including world 

number one Aaron Cook. Hall will 

nominate the weight categories for London 

2012 at the end of May; two for the men 

and two for the women. "They all want to 

be the person going forward to represent 

Britain at 2012," he says. "Just naming the 

weight group will be a challenge. Sarah is 

now back with us, Bianca (Walkden) is 

coming into form and Jade Jones, Youth 

Olympics champion, is in the mix too. So, 

there are three weight categories there and 

we have got to decide two. It's going to be 

tough when we get back. All the 

players know that performance in 

this world championship is important 

Performances in the last 12 months will 

also be taken into consideration. But at the 

World Championship they have got a 

chance to show they show be that person 

going to the Olympics." 

Submitted by GB Taekwondo. 

GB Taekwondo is responsible for the 

preparation, management and performance of 

Britain's elite athletes at major international 

championships and also delivers, on behalf of 

the national governing body British Taekwondo 

Control Board, a major events programme 

including such as the British Open 2011, the 

National Championships 2011 and in 2012, the 

European Taekwondo Championships. 

Chosun Taekwondo Academy 

Students Representing Warwick 

Triumph At Competition 

Martial arts competitions are always 

exciting events; particularly when those 

who triumph are local area residents. 

Representing Warwick, twenty-two 

students from the Chosun Taekwondo 

Academy Competition Team recently 

participated in the 2011 Haddock 

Taekwondo Invitational Championships. 

The event was conducted in New York City 

at the Sokol School for Physical Education. 

By the completion of the competition, the 

Chosun team had accumulated twenty-six 

trophies for their efforts including fourteen 

1 st place, eight 2 nd place and four 3 rd place 

awards. 

Chosun black belt, Michael Klugman, breaks five 

pieces of wood with a knife-hand strike. to win gold 


Chosun Taekwondo Academy students and competitiors from the 2011 Haddock Taekwondo Tournament 

With well over two hundred enthusiastic 

martial artists vying to place from 

throughout the tri-state area, the 

tournament included contests in pointsparring, 

breaking and poomsae, or forms. 

Poomsae are choreographed, self-defense 

techniques aimed at defeating multiple 

opponents attacking from various 

directions and represent the essence of 

traditional taekwondo. Participants in this 

division were judged on technical ability, 

breath control and purpose of motion. The 

breaking competition required students to 

execute various hand, spinning, jumping 

and flying kicks through multiple one-inch 

pine boards, while the much-anticipated 

sparring competition compelled 

participants to practice defined techniques 

with careful attention given to maintaining 

control on contact especially in the adult 

black belt division. 

The Chosun Taekwondo Academy 

Competition Team competitors included 

Warwick residents Michael Klugman, 

Eleanor Pyke, Sebastian Tune, Harold 

Pyke, Elissa Jones, Pamela Pyke, Olga 

Pico, Emma Crouchen, Arnav Tayal, Jake 

Durie, Timothy Leonard, John Vanderhee, 

Julian Valle, Ian Suleski, Marcele 

Mitscherlich, Mary Suleski, Ian O’Neill, 

Kyle Roeloffs, Henry Smith, Olivia 

Klugman, Terrie Wynne and Travis Yee. 

Chosun head instructor Master Doug 

Cook, himself a six-time New York State 

champion and published author with three 


best-selling books focusing on taekwondo 

to his credit, was quoted as saying, “while 

our school is primarily dedicated to 

promoting the self- defense components of 

taekwondo rather than merely the sport 

aspects, it is always gratifying to do well in 

competition given that taekwondo, along 

with judo, is a recognized Olympic event. 

Our students and instructors worked hard 

to prepare for this occasion and, clearly, 

the competitors achieved what they set out 

to accomplish. I am very proud of all who 

participated for they personify the true 

heart of the martial arts.” 

Olympic Poster Improves 

Motivation For Olympic Athelete 

Stephanie Allen 

admits appearing in 

the London 2012 

ticketing adverts has 

given her just the 

motivation she needs 

to book herself a fight 

at the home 

Olympics. 

The 18-year-old 

taekwondo player 

from Croydon was hand-picked by London 

2012 organisers to appear in adverts 

promoting this week’s opening of the 

ticketing process for the Games. 

Allen will have her work cut out to actually 

reach the London Olympic with just two

British spots up for grabs in two of the four 

female weight classes. 

British officials must announce by May 30 

which weights they will compete in with 

Sarah Stevenson and Bianca Walkden, 

both currently third in the -67kg and +73kg 

world rankings respectively. However after 

getting an insight into the hype surrounding 

the Games Allen insists a desire to be part 

of London 2012 is burning brighter than 

ever. 

“The photo shoot 

for the ticketing 

was a really fun 

day. I just got to 

do loads of kicks 

and they took 

loads of photos, I 

really enjoyed it,” 

said Allen. “It 

wasn’t just fun 

though, I found it 

really good 

motivation as 

well. Now we 

know just how 

close we are to 

the Games and 

it’s inspired me to 

work that little bit 

harder as the 

time gets closer 

and closer.” 

“If they’re starting 

to put the tickets on sale then you know the 

Olympics must be close. 500 days will fly 

by and then they’ll be here and I have to be 

ready. I know that if I perform well then the 

medals will come so it’s all about working 

hard and improving. London 2012 is 

always in the back of my mind but we still 

don’t know about the British team.” 

“We’re waiting to hear what weight 

categories will be selected and who will be 

chosen within them. The margins for who 

will be selected are very narrow so until we 

find out it’s just about working hard. 

“There are a lot of tournaments this year 

for me to focus on but the truth is London 

is just around the corner so you can’t help 

but think about it. It would just mean 

everything if I were to qualify and be able 

to compete. I would love to participate at 

London 2012 in front of all my family and 

friends and that is an amazing motivation 

in itself.” 

Allen warmed up for an assault on the 

London 2012 Olympics at the 

Commonwealth 

Championships in 

India earlier this 

month – reaching 

the quarter-finals. 

The 18-year-old 

John Paul II 

Catholic High 

School pupil felt 

hard done to with 

her premature 

exit in the subcontinent 

but 

insists she’s 

learned from the 

experience. 

“Losing in the 

quarter-finals was 

pretty frustrating,” 

added Allen. “I 

went out there 

with the intention 

of medalling but 

my chest 

protector wasn’t working, it was very unfair 

as I didn’t deserve to lose. I wasn’t upset 

for that long though, I know that I gave my 

best and that’s what really counts now I’ve 

got move on and keep improving.” 

Lloyds TSB Local Heroes, in partnership 

with SportsAid, provides support and 

funding to 344 emerging athletes all the 

way to London 2012 and beyond. Follow 

the future stars of TeamGB and 

ParalympicsGB at: 

www.lloydstsb.com/localheroes. 

- submitted by Steve Bond, Sportsbeat.co.uk 


Chosun Taekwondo Academy 

Hosts Black Belt Promotion 

The Chosun Taekwondo Academy recently 

hosted its 28 th Biannual Black Belt 

Promotion Test on Saturday, April 2 nd, at its 

headquarters located at 62 Main Street, 

Warwick. 

With over eleven students testing for the 

coveted black belt and degrees beyond, 

the event was overseen by Master Doug 

Cook and martial arts pioneer and author, 

Grandmaster Richard Chun, one of the 

highest ranking international master 

instructors within the borders of the United 

States. 

The Chosun students, all from the Warwick 

location, were required to demonstrate 

proficiency in skills ranging from basic selfdefense 

techniques and poomsae – the 

choreographed, dance-like formal 

exercises unique to taekwondo - to the 

breaking of wood with intense kicks and 

hand strikes, a dramatic component of the 

Korean martial art that expresses raw 

power and focus. Students testing for 1 st 


degree black belt included: Miles Krupin, 

Katelyn Pinskey, Tony Rivera, Natalie 

Paraschiv and Olga Pico. Testing for 2 nd 

degree black belt was: Silvana Molinas, 

Amy Smith and Michael Klugman. Those 

qualifying for 3 rd degree black belt were 

Henry Smith, Michael Orlovsky and Terrie 

Wynne. 

Master Doug Cook, owner and head 

instructor of the Chosun Taekwondo 

Academy, himself an author with three best 

-selling books focusing on taekwondo to 

his credit stated, “We are fortunate indeed 

to retain such a loyal group of students, 

most of whom have been with our school 

for almost fourteen years. I partially 

attribute this to the fact that we teach an 

authentic, pure form of taekwondo that is 

certain to enhance one’s life at any age.” 

Unlike the vast majority of martial arts 

schools that cater mainly to children, the 

Chosun Taekwondo Academy boasts an 

unusually high percentage of adult 

students due to a traditional curriculum that 

focuses on self-defense, martial arts 

Chosun Taekwondo Academy students earn promotion at a recent examination overseen 

by Grandmaster Richard Chun (seated right)

philosophy, meditation, and internal 

energy, or Ki, development. The academy 

also features classes in hatha yoga and tai 

chi, all taught by qualified adult instructors. 

For more information on the programs 

offered at the Chosun Taekwondo 

Academy call (845) 986-2288, or visit their 

website at www.chosuntkd.com 

2nd Degree Promotions 

At Rayners Lane Taekwon-Do 

Academy 

After an arduous evening on the 5th April 

2011, Rayners Lane Taekwon-Do 

Academy is please to announce the 

promotions of two of its students to 2nd 

degree Black belt. 

Ms Lyndsey Reynolds and Ms Elaine 

Ogden promoted to 2nd degree following 

an extensive theory and physical test in 

front of a panel of examiners, including 5th, 

6th and 7th degrees. 

The physical portion of the exam lasted 

approximately two and a half hours and 

included patterns, competition sparring, 

traditional sparring, destruction, 3, 2 and 1 

step sparring, foot sparring, 2 Vs 1 

sparring, knife defences, choke sparring, 

pattern applications, hosinsul and pressure 

point demonstrations, all performed against 

either each other or the four fresh black 

belts that assisted with the grading. 

Congratulations to both of them. A video 

clip of the grading can be viewed at 

www.raynerslanetkd.com 



Or come directly to the forum 

http://totallytkd.proboards.com/ 

”The TKD Clinic” 

Each month Glenn Smits will be able to answer selected questions on 

health, well being, physical training and advise on the treatment 

of Tae Kwon Do sustained injuries. 

Please send your questions to Glenn via TKDClinic@totallytkd.com 

ensuring “TKD Clinic” is in the subject line 

Please be as descriptive of your issue, problem or injury as possible to allow a correct 

response. Please include your name and country on any emails sent and state in the 

email if you do not wish your name to appear in the magazine. 

While there can be no guarantee that every question will be addressed, Glenn will attempt to 

answer two or three questions each month that he feels will be the most informative and 

beneficial to readers. 

Glenn Smits started his martial arts training in 1963 and started training in Tae Kwon Do ten 

years later. His one and only Tae Kwon Do instructor has been and is Grand Master Kwang Jae 

Lee. Over the last 30 plus years he has actively participated and promoted Tae Kwon Do as a 

competitor, instructor, coach and long time commercial school owner. He is a Licensed 

Acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist currently in private practice specializing in sports and 

rehabilitative medicine as well as pain management.

How and when did 

you get involved in 

martial arts? 

In 1941 I was 7 years 

old and Korea was 

under the Japanese 

occupation. My 

grandmother 

recommended me to 

a (suh nim) Buddhist 

priest to learn martial 

arts and protection 

against the Japanese. 

I cannot remember 

my teachers full 

name, but I 

remember the last 

name was Lee. I 

was only able to train 

once or twice a 

month up in the 

mountains with the 

Korean Buddhist priest in secret. Training 

lasted several hours. I was expected to 

train on my own every day. 

In September 1950 I joined the army. In 

1951 I was fighting in the Korean War. 

Because of my martial arts experience as a 

A A Interview Interview With With 

Supreme Master Kim, Bok Man 

By Stuart Anslow 

Master Kim, Bok Man was fundamental in formulating much of what 

many of us still practice weekly at our dojangs today. Obtaining the 

highest non-commissioned officer rank of Sgt. Major in the Korean 

armed forces, he led a pivotal role in teaching Taekwon-Do to the 

Korean army, as well as formulating and advising on many of the 

patterns and techniques within the art. He has a personal history of 

Taekwon-do that stretches back as long as Taekwon-Do has been in 

existence, with his history of martial arts going back even further. 

Read on for the most in-depth and frank interview with one of the men 

who shaped Taekwon-Do as we know it. 

child and now war 

experience I began 

teaching the army 

soldiers in hand to 

hand combat and 

guerilla warfare as 

well as knife, 

bayonet and baton 

fighting. Under my 

guidance the armed 

forces fighting 

t e c h n i q u e s 

significantly 

improved. 

Do you recall what 

martial art you 

started learning in 

1941? 

TaeKyun Moosul is 

what my teacher told 

me was the name of 

the martial art. Tae, meaning jumping or 

flying with kicks. Kyun meaning fighting 

position. Moosul stands for martial arts. In 

the old times most martial arts were called 

Moosul. Later this became “do”. 

Regarding your beginnings in martial 

arts, you say you studied 'TaeKyun 


1958 - Leading a demonstration for the entire division of about 1200 army soldiers. Master Kim is circled and 

the man standing in the front left of the photo is Col. Nam Tae Hee 

Moosul' would this be a similar art to 

'Taekkyon', the kick fighting sport of 

ancient Korea? 

Yes, we are talking about the same art I 

just spelled it differently. 

On your web site it says you studied 'To 

-San'. What is this and is it related to the 

other art 'Taekyun Moosul' and when 

did you learn this? 

To-San was another Taekkyon Moosul 

group that was closer to where I lived. I 

would train with both groups. Sometimes 

the martial arts group would be called by 

the name of their teacher. To-San was the 

name of the teacher of that particular 

Taekkyon Moosul group. 

Where did you gain your knowledge of 

weapons fighting? 

As far as weapon practice, the Korean’s 

have been using weapons for thousands of 

years. First to protect against wild animals 

and later against human attackers. I first 

started learning knife, baton, bayonet in the 


army. We were taught basic movements. 

Mostly how to attack. I combined these 

techniques with my TaeKyun knowledge. I 

practiced these techniques with other 

soldiers and perfected the movements. I 

helped to develop practical fighting 

methods. 

Was it whilst in the army that you met 

General Choi? What year was this and 

how did you start working togethor? 

I met General Choi in 1954 while I was in 

the army. I was working in the DaeJun 

City Army Hospital. I participated in Tae 

Kwon Do demonstration Dae Jun City 

Theatre and afterwards Nam Tae Hi 

introduced me to General Choi and 

Grandmaster Son Duk Son. After the 

demonstration we went to a meeting space 

and I was asked to demonstrate my 

techniques such as kicks punches, etc. 

The same day at dinner they asked me a 

lot of questions regarding my experience 

and training. They respected me because 

of my war experience. I had three years of

war combat fighting. Later, we met in the 

city of DaeJun to discuss martial arts in the 

military. After this meeting I began to work 

together with General Choi. General Choi 

was in charge of three states or divisions. I 

was in a neighboring state and he would 

call me to join him if there were any 

meetings regarding martial arts. At this 

time there were many different “kwans”. 

We decided that we would call the military 

martial art Oh Do 

Kwan Tae Kwon 

Do. Nam Tae Hi 

was appointed 

director of the 

Oh Do Kwan 

Tae Kwon Do. 

How did you 

meet Nam, Tae 

Hee? 

The first time I 

met Nam Tae 

Hee was shortly 

after meeting 

General Choi 

and Sun Duk 

Son. I met Nam 

Tae Hee, 

General Choi, 

and Son Duk 

Son all in the 

same month. I 

actually met 

General Choi 

and Son Duk 

Son first and it 

was General 

Choi that 

introduced me to 

Nam Tae Hee. 

I met them all before the demonstration in 

Dae Jun City. It was after this 

demonstration that we had dinner and 

discussed the future of martial arts in the 

military. The next time I saw Nam Tae Hee 

was about a year later and he was 

appointed leader of the Oh Do Kwan. 

Defending against a bayonet attack, Singapore, 1968 

Regarding when you joined the army 

and started teaching soldiers, what 

section of the army and who were you 

assigned to? Under who's authority did 

you teach unarmed combat? Was it 

formal classes or an informal thing 

between soldiers? 

I remember that I was under the direction 

of General Chung Kang. He controlled 

approximately 1,200 soldiers. At that time I 

had about 9 

soldiers under 

my command. I 

would teach 

these soldiers 

during our free 

time. I would 

teach soldiers 

c o m b a t 

techniques that I 

felt was 

important for 

their survival. 

The soldiers 

began to talk 

among each 

other and others 

asked if they 

could join in on 

our training. 

Eventually I 

approached my 

Captain and 

Colonel and 

a s k e d 

permission to 

teach martial art 

c o m b a t 

techniques to the 

soldiers. They 

were very happy 

to approve my 

training methods. 

Prior to meeting General Choi, which 

kwan were you a member of? 

I did not belong to any Kwan. Once Korea 

gained its independence from Japan my 

teacher left. I just practiced by myself the 

movements that I was taught. 


How much input did you have in 

regards to the new Oh Do Kwan? 

General Choi and Nam Tae Hi were the 

main contributors to the new Oh Do Kwan. 

We worked together to develop the 

patterns. I also developed many self 

defense and weapon techniques. 

What was training like in the newly 

formed Oh Do Kwan and how did it 

differ from other kwans of that era? 

Immediately after meeting with General 

Choi I began traveling to all different 

divisions of the armed forces to teach. I 

taught basic blocks, strikes and kicks, 

along with some pattern training. We took 

the forms from the different Kwan’s and 

improved them. For example made them 

more practical and balanced in terms of left 

and right. I continued to teach the military 

from 1955-1962. After that I participated in 

many demonstrations, interviews, and 

press conferences to promote TaekownDo 

worldwide. 


Demo in Indonesia, 1968 

The most important demonstrations in 

terms of promoting TKD worldwide were in 

Malaysia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. The 

demonstration in Malaysia on August 5, 

1963 during the opening celebration of the 

1st Asian Soccer Championship included 

special guests such as the King of 

Malaysia, over 100 Ambassadors, and 

many government officials. The stadium 

was full with over 60,000 spectators. 

As a military kwan, and considering 

your skills with weapons, was there any 

point where Tae Kwon Do considered 

having weapons as part of its training? 

Weapons were and still are part of Tae 

Kwon Do training. This is a common 

misconception about Taekwon Do. Many 

masters may not teach or may not know 

these techniques. Many of the techniques 

taught in the military were not for civilians. 

Only those in the military were taught 

certain techniques. I have always taught 

knife, baton, pole, and bayonet to my 

students. My first book “Practical Taekwon

Do” first published in 1979 illustrates 

defense against weapons. 

When you say 'weapons were and still 

are part of Tae Kwon Do training' do 

you mean as a means of attack, as 

opposed to just defending against 

them? 

In order to learn how to defend against a 

weapon, you must also learn the attack. 

Once you know how to use the weapon for 

attack, it is much easier to learn the 

defense. 

Did General Choi 

push weapons 

training at all, or 

w a s t h i s 

considered your 

area of expertise? 

I pushed weapons 

especially with the 

masters and 

instructors because I 

felt they did not have 

enough experience. 

General Choi was 

supportive of me 

teaching weapons to 

the soldiers. 

How do you feel 

about Gen Choi's 

prohibition against 

weapons in TKD, as 

it differs from your 

own views and 

philosophy? 

As you can see from my photos, I always 

used weapons in my demonstrations. This 

would upset some of the directors of the 

different Kwans. General Choi approved 

my use of weapons and felt that it was 

needed in the military. This philosophy 

was not shared by all of the Kwan Jang’s. 

My philosophy is that weapons are a 

necessary part of martial arts. How do you 

defend yourself against a tiger? Or 

multiple opponents? Hand and leg 

techniques are important, but you must 

have advanced techniques in order to 

overcome any opponent. I can understand 

Taekwondo in terms of a sport may not 

utilize weapons, but you can see many of 

the demonstrations of Taekwondo in Korea 

are now using weapons. 

'Practical Taekwon-Do' is an excellent 

book (I have an original copy) and is 

about to be republished I believe, is this 

possibly the only source for the weapon 

side of Taekwon-Do, as Gen Choi only 

showed some defences against 

weapons in his books? 

Yes, there are very few if any TaekwonDo 

books that cover 

weapons. This is 

one reason my book 

is very unique. As 

for General Choi’s 

books, all of the 

weapon techniques 

belong to me. These 

are my techniques 

that I taught to the 

army. 

Is the book an 

exact copy of the 

previously released 

one, or has it been 

changed/updated at 

all? 

The book will not be 

an exact copy of the 

original. I have 

updated my 

biographical 

information, added some new photos, 

changed the cover, and improved the 

layout. The techniques however have 

remained the same. 

I noticed on the cover (of the rereleased 

version) it refers to you as the 

'Technical Founder Of Taekwon-Do', 

can you explain what this means? 

Before general Choi wrote his book 

“Taekwon-Do” I helped him to re-write the 

Army Training Manual. I gave my technical 

advice on every aspect of this training 

manual. I was the one who came up with 


the names of the stances, blocks, and 

sparring techniques. Before my input they 

were still using many Japanese names and 

movements. I pride myself in the fact that I 

have never learned any Karate. I have 

only trained in the Korean Martial Arts. 

General Choi respected the fact that I had 

no Japanese influence in my training. All 

of the movements and techniques in 

General Choi’s book in some way were 

influenced by me. I was one of the 

strongest influences in deciding what 

techniques were taught and how they were 

taught. It very important for me to develop 

more advanced and practical techniques. 

Going back to the forms development - 

what forms did you have the most input 

in? (I ask as I know you helped develop 

at least 15 whilst in Malaysia in the 60's, 

but what ones would you say had your 

'signature' on them the most?) 

I helped to develop all but 2-3 of the forms. 

I would develop the forms and show them 

to General Choi. He would then tell me to 

change certain movements or re-arrange 

the order. There was a lot of discussion 

back and forth before we would finally 


Vietnam, 1959 

settle on the forms. The forms that I did 

not help to develop were made in North 

Korea. Hwa Rang form has been around 

for a long time and was simply improved. 

The same is true for Ul-Ji. I also helped 

with the naming of the forms. 

Other Masters that help General Choi 

formulate the patterns have said that 

they acted out the patterns for General 

Choi, in essense, they were the actors 

and he was the director. Was it the 

same way for you or did you have more 

input into the actual design of the 

patterns, for example: forming a 

completed version and then taking them 

to General for final approval? 

There were already patterns that were 

being practiced at this time from other 

Kwans. General Choi and Nam Tae Hee 

had already developed some of the 

patterns using these pre-existing patterns 

as an outline. I would help to fine tune the 

patterns and make them practical and 

balanced in terms of left and right. 

In what order were the patterns 

developed?

As I remember the first patterns being practiced at this time were the Pal Gae patterns 1- 

8 and Chul Gae patterns either 1-3 or 1-5 as well as Ship Soo patterns. I did not learn 

and was not interested in these patterns. As far as the Chong Hon patterns I cannot 

remember which order they were created. I do remember Hwa Rang pattern to be 

around for a long time. 

Apart from the Army 

Training Manual you 

mentioned, did you help 

General Choi write any 

of his other books? If so 

which ones and of which 

year? 

I only helped General Choi 

with the first Army Training 

Manual and the first edition 

of his book “Taekwon-Do”. 

In your book 'Practical 

Tae Kwon Do' you do not 

list the Ch'ang Hon 

forms, even though you 

had great input in them, 

but rather patterns 

named 'Silla', ie. Silla 

Pattern 1, Silla Pole 

Pattern etc. - why is 

that? 

I did not include the 

Ch’ang Hon forms 

because these were 

already in General Choi’s 

book. I wanted to include 

forms that were more 

difficult than those in 

General Choi’s book. 

During this time I had 

created many empty hand 

forms as well as weapon 

forms. 

Rare pictures of the cover and inside pages of the 1959 book 'Taekwondo' 

- the first ever book on Tae Kwon Do 

Can you give us a little 

more detail on where 

these patterns come from 

- did you create them or learn them from someone else, if so, whom? 

Photos made possible by Master Nate Doggett. 

Shared with Totally Tae Kwon Do magazine by George Vitale 

I created all of the Silla Patterns myself using the various movements from the Korean 

Martial Arts. It was important to me to make more advanced and practical patterns. I 

wanted to create forms that were technically superior to any other martial art. At this time 

I had created over 20 patterns that did not go into the book. 


Were you still with General Choi and the 

ITF at this time? 

I was not a part of the ITF or involved with 

General Choi at the time I released my 

book. 

I notice your title is sometimes 

'Supreme Master' - can you expand on 

this title for our readers? 

I have chosen to use the title “Supreme 

Master”. I feel that the title of Grand 

Master is being overly used. All of these 

Grand Masters are my junior in terms of 

rank, knowledge and experience. I have 

written one of the first Taekwondo books 

ever and gave my technical advice that let 

do the development of the techniques 

used in General Choi’s book. I needed to 

create a title that separates me from the 

other masters. You must understand I 

have over 60 years experience in the 

martial arts including weapons and have 

written several books. 

When is your book, 'Practical Tae Kwon 

Do' actually due to be re-released? 


Master Kim - Flying Side Kick 

My original book “Practical Tae Kwon Do” 

is in the final stages of being re-released. 

It will be available for purchase on the 

YMAA website as well as Amazon.com 

and Barnesandnoble.com by December of 

this year. We have changed the title of the 

book to “Taekwondo-Defense Against 

Weapons”. I have changed the title of the 

book to make it easier to search for. Also I 

wanted to put the word “weapons” in the 

title, because there are very few, if any 

Taekwondo books that cover weapon 

attack and defense techniques. 

In what year did you part ways with 

General Choi and why was this? 

There were several events that led up to 

my parting ways with General Choi in 1968. 

I can recall many times that we had 

arguments over the way to perform or 

execute certain techniques and especially 

the names of the movements. I had many 

arguments with General Choi starting in 

1954 when working on the book, mostly 

about using Japanese terminology and 

techniques. I would train day and night, 

mostly with my good friend Woo Jae Lim,

perfecting and testing every movement. 

In 1964 just after returning from Singapore 

I had another meeting with General Choi 

and Son Duk Son about promoting 

TaekwonDo in the military and elsewhere. 

Son Duk Son suggested to General Choi 

that I teach Taekwon Do to the armed 

forces. He explained to General Choi that 

he needed my help to promote the Korean 

Martial Art. Finally in 1968 I had 

assembled a demonstration team of 6 

Korean Instructors including me as the 

leader of the Demonstration Team. I was 

invited by many government leaders to 

come and give TKD demonstrations in 

their country. I was instructed to get 

permission from General Choi before 

committing to any traveling demonstrations. 

I had organized a large scale 

demonstration including 32 different 

countries with the intention of spreading 

TKD worldwide. Just before the 

demonstration tour was about to begin all 

of our passports were denied by the 

Korean Government, I feel by decree of 

General Choi. At this time he had an 

Embassador title. I had successful travels 

to Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong 

1957 - Korea 

Kong where I gave demonstrations and set 

up TKD organizations. 

Following your parting ways with 

General Choi in 1968, what did you do 

then? 

Once I parted ways with General Choi, I 

spent most of my time training and writing 

my first book “Practical Taekwon Do”. I 

originally had over 3,000 pages including 

12 patterns that did not make it into the 

book. 

When did you establish you own art and 

what is it called? 

I first developed Practical Taekwon Do 

Federation in 1968. I started to develop 

my own martial art called Chun Kuhn Do in 

1988. In 1992 I completed writing the 

Chun Kuhn Do Encyclopedia volume 1 -5. 

In 2002 I published volume 1 titled “Chun 

Kuhn Do – The Complete Wellness Art”. 

Since then I have decided to call my new 

martial art “Chun Kuhn Taekwondo”. The 

reason for this is because everyone knows 

me as a Pioneer of Taekwondo. I created 

this art myself using the knowledge and 

experience I have gained over my lifetime. 


Defending against knife, sword and pole 

- Jakarta, Indonesia 1968 

Why did you establish your own art 

and how is it different from Taekwon- 

Do? 


I created my own style of Taekwondo 

because I could not join the ITF due to my 

technical and political conflicts with 

General Choi and did not want to join the

WTF. Chun Kuhn Taekwondo is more 

practical and advanced in terms of theory 

and philosophy than any other form of 

Taekwondo. Also, many Taekwondo 

Masters and Instructors fail to teach 

weapon techniques. This is a major 

difference between Chun Kuhn TKD 

versus any other form of TKD. 

What are your opinions on the founding 

of the WTF/Kukkikwon? 

I was contacted by Un Yong Kim many 

times to join the WTF. We first met in 

September 1977 in Chicago, IL at the 3rd 

World Taekwondo Championships. I was 

invited as a special guest by the 

organizing committee. In September 1978, 

I helped to organize the 3rd Asian 

Championships. I explained to Mr. Un 

Yong Kim that I did not approve of the 

WTF because their standards were too 

poor. Their movements and terminology 

were 70% Japanese Karate. I wanted a 

purely Korean Martial Art. At this time, I 

explained to Mr. Un Yong Kim that he 

needed to write a Korean National Book 

on WTF TKD. I told him I could advise him 

on the technical matters on this book. He 

agreed with me about writing the book, so 

I met him in Korea. I spent one month in 

Seoul working on a National Book but 

unfortunately he was dealing with personal 

and political problems and our project kept 

being delayed, until eventually I stopped 

contacting him. 

What do you think of WTF TKD today? 

I feel that as of today the WTF techniques 

have greatly improved. I understand they 

want to follow the Olympic way, but 

Taekwondo is a Martial Art and this fact 

should not be overlooked. There is a sport 

aspect to Taekwondo but we must keep 

the practical martial art techniques. I hope 

to see more advanced techniques 

including weapons. 

Do you feel WTF TKD is South Korea is 

simply a sport? And is it because its 

controlled by a different Governing 

body than the Kukkiwon? What are you 

thoughts on this, what would change 

things? 

Yes, I feel that WTF TKD in South Korea is 

a sport. I feel that the purpose of the 

Kukkiwon is to advise on technical matters 


and issue certification. I am not sure how 

much technical advice they can truly 

provide. I feel that there must be a clear 

division between martial arts for practical 

fighting and for use as a sport. There 

must be a clear curriculum for teaching 

martial arts for practical self defense and a 

separate curriculum for martial arts training 

as a sport with clearly defined competition 

rules. 

In what direction did you feel the ITF 

would go when General Choi passed 

away in 2002? Has 

it panned out as 

you might have 

imagined back 

then? 

The ITF was already 

splitting into different 

directions even 

before General Choi 

passed away. I feel 

that this situation 

became worse after 

he passed. I believe 

this is because they 

do not have a strong 

enough leader. The 

ITF is not running 

properly as an 

International 

Organization. Most 

gyms are run 

individually not as 

one cohesive group. 

I would like to see 

Taekwondo unify 

into one worldwide 

body. In order for 

this to happen we need a strong leader 

who knows not only politically how to bring 

people together, but the leader must also 

know technical matters. The difference 

between ITF and WTF is based in 

technical matters. Taekwondo may have a 

chance to unify with the help of the 

Olympic Committee. I would suggest that 

the leaders of the ITF and WTF present 

the Olympic Committee with at least 2 sets 

of basic hand and foot movements, forms, 


and sparring rules and let them decide 

which would best fit the Olympic style. 

What are your thoughts on Chang Hon 

Taekwon-Do today? 

I am not exactly sure what you mean by 

Chang Hon Taekwondo. If you are 

referring to the original way the forms were 

practiced as I created them with General 

Choi, I believe this way is technically 

superior to how they are practiced today. I 

am against the sin wave theory that 

General Choi implemented. I met with him 

briefly after his last 

seminar in Colorado, 

I was living there at 

the time, and 

expressed my 

disapproval of this 

method. He told me 

that he would be 

willing to listen to my 

ideas and see if we 

could work out an 

a g r e e m e n t . 

Unfortunately this 

never happed due to 

his passing. 

Many thanks for 

allowing this 

interview and being 

so frank with your 

answers. Are there 

an final thoughts or 

comments you`d 

like to add? 

In closing I would like 

to restate my feelings 

Hong Kong, 1966 

on the unification of 

Taekwondo worldwide. I have been 

independent for so long I could not join the 

WTF and it would also be difficult for me to 

join the ITF because of all the changes 

that have taken place. If there was a 

strong ITF presence in Seoul, I may be 

able to help advise them on technical 

matters. I am prepared to challenge 

anyone on technical matters regarding 

Taekwondo. My theories and principles 

are the most practical, efficient, technically

sound and of course good 

looking! I am always open 

to listening to others ideas 

and theories. I feel we 

must have a discussion on 

the proper way to execute 

movements and you must 

be prepared to challenge 

your theories against those 

who may have a different 

idea. This is the only way 

we can improve and 

advance the art of 

Taekwondo. This art 

improves body circulation, 

strength, and flexibility, as 

well as develops 

concentration and 

discipline in the mind. 

Taekwondo can be 

practices by all people of 

all ages. Unlike many 

sports you can still practice 

the art of Taekwondo well past 70 years of 

ages, as to which I can attest thru personal 

experience. Twenty years ago people had 

no idea how the computer would change 

and improve our world. Technology is 

constantly being upgraded and improved, 

the same is true for Taekwondo. I know 

that I may upset many people because of 

my thoughts and feelings regarding 

Supreme Master Kim, Bok Man with his 

most senior student Master Brad Shipp 

Taekwondo but I don’t care. 

I have devoted my life to 

the promotion of 

Taekwondo worldwide and 

it is my wish to see it thrive 

throughout the world as 

one strong, unified body. 

I would like to thank Grand 

Master Brad Shipp for his 

efforts in completing this 

interview. (Grand Master 

Shipp been training with 

Supreme Master Kim for 

the past 23 years and is the 

Technical Director of the 

World Chun Kuhn Do 

Federation). 

Supreme Master Kim can 

be contacted at: 

The World Chun Kuhn Do Federation 

(The Complete Wellness Art) 

12 Eisenhower Parkway 

Suite 8 - Roseland 

NJ 07068 

Tel: 973-403-0045 

www.chunkuhndo.com 


24 - Totally Tae Kwon Do

Fundamental School In Brazil 

Teaches Taekwon-Do Taekwon Do As 

Optional Discipline 

Since Taekwon-Do ITF has been 

established at the city of Brasília, Capitol of 

Brazil, it captivated everybody's attention. 

Colégio Ideal, a fundamental school in the 

city, was among those that loved it. 

Focused in 

teaching 

children and 

teenagers on 

the hard task to 

get in the 

university and 

prepare them 

for an adult life, 

the school 

b e c a m e 

By Marcio Cruz Nunes de Carvalho 

amazed on how Taekwon-Do ITF could 

help them on this path. 

The Taekwon-Do ITF tenets (cortesy, 

integrity, perseverance, self-control, 

indomitable spirit) plus its practise could 

strenghten their 

caracter and 

also show them 

that in real life 

we have 

sometimes to be 

tough and 

flexible in the 

same manner. 

In this regard, 

the school 


invited Sabum Teo Riveros, President of 

NGB ITF in Brazil, and Bu Sabum Marcio 

Carvalho for a meeting, where they 

together drafted a Taekwon-Do 

demonstration and how could it be the 

"start" of new classes to be offered to more 

than 5000 of its students. 

On 15th and 16th April 2011 it happened, 

during its "Cultural Week". 1100 students 

participated in a big Taekwon-Do class on 

the first day and on the next one more than 

1500 did it. 

The demo was drafted demanding a big 

stage, microphones, a huge sound system, 

and counting with a staff to record and to 

do all the support. Six black belts were 

invited to the event and to perform Ge- 

Baek Tul and a routine of self-defense, to 

execute power breaking techniques, slow 

motion sparring, fast sparring, and to help 

Sabum Teo when conducting this mega 

show Taekwon-Do ITF class. 

It was a hard task, specialy if considered 

that 1100 students had ages of 10 to 15 

years old and when they where all together 

the excitement was above the highest 

levels. 

Surprisingly they tried their best to perform 

the kicks and punches Sabum Teo showed 

them from the stage. 

They also watched the demo very curiously 

and totally focused on the moves 

performed. Always with a great applause 

from the students we ended each part of 

demonstration. 

Even after all the show the belt-blacks 

were surrounded by the spectators that 

asked them a lot of questions, each one 

were answered patiently. 

Since now we have at the city of Brasília a 

huge Taekwon-Do class where we can find 

a hundred of stundents enrolled on it. 

Find more on www.tkd-df.com.br 


The Evolution of Tae Kwon Do 

Poomse, Hyung and Tul 

By Master Doug Cook, 5th Dan / Chosun Taekwondo Academy 

Master Cook and students training in poomsae at Tong-Il Jeon shrine in South Korea 

Long before the advent of sport sparring 

and the invention of modern safety gear, in 

a time when to fight meant to defend one’s 

life from almost certain death an ingenious 

method of transmitting martial arts skills 

from venerated master to loyal disciple was 

developed. Legend has it that experienced 

warriors returning unscathed from combat, 

a testimony in and of itself to their martial 

prowess, mimicked techniques used to 

vanquish opponents on the field of battle 

for the benefit of those less qualified in the 

ways of war. This ritual may have been 

practiced around a campfire, in secret 

gardens or in the incense-filled halls of 

ancient Buddhist temples lending credence 

to the notion that the dynamic practice of 

formal exercises has existed for centuries. 

Several examples demonstrating this 

concept can be traced back to antiquity 

with roots found in primitive works of art 

and ancient yogic postures originally 

intended to promote health and core 

strength in sedentary clerics. 

Today, poomsae, hyung or tul - all 

culturally-specific terms for Korean martial 

arts patterns - can be defined as 

choreographed sequences of techniques 

aimed at defeating multiple attackers 

originating from various directions. They 

can also be thought of as “quality shapes 

of strength” representing the 

comprehensive catalog of Traditional and 

Kukki Tae Kwon Do skills. Moreover, 

poomsae demonstratively symbolize the 

essence of the art and can be distilled 

down into two discrete categories – those 

created in modern times as opposed to 

those tracing their pedigree to primordial 

Totally Tae Kwon Do - 27

practices. 

In an effort to quantify the significance of 

this division, we must first appreciate that 

the formal exercises found in Tae Kwon Do 

today were not created in a vacuum. 

Rather, an analysis of the historical 

evidence at hand reveals that empty-hand 

fighting arts, in conjunction with their 

associated formal exercises, developed 

naturally across continents as various 

cultures adapted to cope with the dangers 

posed by increased trade and human 

aggression accompanied by imperialist 

desire. Still, the need to practice 

prearranged chains of combat tactics in a 

relatively relaxed environment devoid of 

mayhem and death was apparently 

universal. 

In his book, Moving Zen, Shotokan karatedo 

practitioner C.W. Nicol describes forms 

practice as “a dynamic dance; a battle 

without bloodshed or vanquished.” He 

further goes on to say that, “we are 

somehow touching the warrior ancestry of 

all humanity” and that “of all the training in 

karate, none is more vigorous, demanding 

or exhilarating than the sincere 

performance of kata.” From this we can 

see that poomsae training, if approached in 

a traditional manner, not only cultivates 

defensive and offensive proficiency 

coupled with ki (internal energy) 

development, but establishes a profound 

link with masters of the past who clearly 

did not perform formal exercises merely for 

physical fitness as some would claim, but 

as a means of collating hard-earned 

martial skills often fostered on the field of 

battle or in the supercharged atmosphere 

of some distant training hall, for the 

benefits of students across the centuries. 

In order to fully understand the complete 

history, philosophy and martial applications 

of Tae Kwon Do poomsae, hyung or tul, 

one must openly and without bias, take into 

account the role Okinawan/Japanese kata 

and Chinese taolu played in their creation. 


Anko Itosu 

In 1901, on the Ryukyu archipelago, 

Yasutsune “Anko” Itosu (1830-1915) 

introduced karate into the mainstream 

curriculum of the Shuri Jinjo Elementary 

School and, later, throughout the 

Okinawan educational system as a whole 

with the long range goal of cultivating 

physical fitness and character enrichment 

in adolescents. This worthy objective was 

partially accomplished by practicing 

sanitized versions of the Pinan (Peaceful 

Mind) kata created by Itosu. Since, at least 

for school children, self-defense was not 

the prime focus of training the practical 

applications of techniques within the forms 

were intentionally masked in ambiguity or 

eliminated altogether. This method of 

instruction represented a major shift in 

formal exercise training that would have 

ramifications far into the future. Criticized 

for diluting the fundamental purpose of 

kata, and thus karate in general since 

forms represented the core of the art, Itosu 

later wrote, “You must decide whether your 

kata is for cultivation of health or for its 

practical use.” He further advised adult 

students to, “Always practice kata with its 

practical use in mind.” 

Yet, a further endorsement that kata 

represented a central pillar of karate-do 

doctrine, awaited the appearance of 

Gichen Funakoshi (1868-1957) who in his

youth, traveled the back roads between 

Naha and Shuri by lantern light to study 

with both Itosu and one of his colleagues, 

Yasutsune Azato (1828- 

1906), sub rosa. 

Funakoshi’s required 

repetition of a single 

kata under the vigilant 

eye of Azato day in and 

day out, often for 

months on end, to the 

point of humiliation, 

clearly instilled an 

appreciation for the 

formal exercises that he 

would carry across a 

lifetime. 

Funakoshi did not bring 

his karate to Japan until 

1922 while in his early 

fifties. Yet through a 

concerted effort by he 

and his third son Gigo 

(1906-1945), who emigrated to Tokyo in 

1923 at the age of seventeen, significant 

changes were made to the traditional 

methods of teaching Okinawan karate. By 

way of example, in an attempt to simplify 

the pronunciation of the Pinan kata, 

Funakoshi rechristened 

the nomenclature to 

Heian while altering 

certain prescribed 

stances and kicks. 

Likewise, Gigo is 

credited with the 

creation of ritual onestep 

sparring and the 

three Taikyoku, or Kihon 

kata that virtually mirror 

the Kicho patterns used 

today in traditional Tae 

Kwon Do. The Taikyoku 

set was generally used 

as a precursor to the 

more complex Heian 

kata. 

Recognizing the vital roles Itosu, Azato and 

Funikoshi played in the proliferation of 

Gichen Funakoshi 

Won Kuk Lee 

formal exercises brings us ever closer to 

the nexus of the correlation between 

Okinawan/Japanese kata and 

contemporary Tae Kwon 

Do poomsae, hyung or 

tul. Indisputably, 

Korean formal exercises 

were heavily influenced 

by events that occurred 

in neighboring countries 

shortly before, or 

concurrent with, the 

Japanese Occupation of 

the nation during the 

years of 1910 to 1945. 

Clearly, the practice of 

karate required a deep 

understanding and 

respect for kata which 

continues to stand as a 

centerpiece of its 

practice to this day. This 

principle must surely 

have been inculcated in 

the minds of Chung Do Kwan founder Won 

Kook Lee (1907-2003), Byung In Yoon 

(1920-1983) of the Chang Moo Kwan, 

Hwang Kee (1914-2002) father of the Moo 

Duk Kwan and Choi Hong Hi (1918-2002) 

creator of the Oh Do Kwan, while studying 

in Japan under the 

direction of either 

Shudokan karate 

founder Kanken Toyama 

(1988-1966) or 

Funikoshi. All of these 

innovators, soon 

destined to promote 

enduring martial 

traditions within the 

borders of their native 

land, returned home 

from abroad 

undoubtedly with 

practical knowledge of 

the Taikyoku, Pinan, 

Bassai, Jitte, Empi and 

Tekki kata – all 

considered traditional 

formal exercises - that would ultimately 

evolve into the Kicho, Pyung-Ahn, Balsek, 


Sip Soo, Yunbee and Chul-Ki hyung 

respectively of Tae Kwon Do. 

Throughout the 1950s and early 60s, when 

Tae Kwon Do, still referred to as taesoodo, 

tangsoodo and kongsoodo in many circles, 

was in its infancy, poomsae practice 

consisted largely of exercises derived from 

these Okinawan, Japanese and Chinese 

disciplines. As a result, the founding 

fathers of the original kwans or institutes, 

could not help but transmit the formal 

exercises they learned abroad while at 

university as their nation staggered under 

the weight of the Japanese Occupation. 

Nevertheless, a strong desire existed 

among many masters, Choi Hong Hi not 

being the least, to create patterns with a 

distinctly Korean flavor. Consequently, in 

founding his style of Tae Kwon Do, Choi 

was the first to deviate from the past by 

developing the Chang Han set of formal 

exercises between 1955 and 1988 with the 

assistance of Tae Hi Nam, Young Il Kong, 

Cha Kyo Han, Chang Keun Choi, Jae Lim 

Woo, Kim Bok Man and Jung Tae Park, 

that bear the shadow of techniques culled 

from his training in karate-do. Furthermore, 

as a tribute, Choi based the underlying 

definition of each pattern on personalities 

and concepts pivotal to Korean history. 

The Chang Han series of International 

Taekwon-do Federation tul currently 

consists of twenty-four patterns and differs 


Byung In Yoon, Hwang Kee & Choi Hong Hi 

significantly from others in the fact that 

their movements subscribe to a wave or 

sign-curve motion of the body as it 

transitions from stance to stance, 

sequence to sequence. 

Following Choi’s exodus from Korea and 

the eventual entrenchment of the Korea 

Taekwondo Association coupled with the 

establishment of the Kukkiwon and World 

Taekwondo Federation by a younger 

generation of practitioners not directly 

affected by Japanese instruction, three 

revolutionary sets of formal exercises were 

developed over the course of eight years in 

an effort to eliminate any vestige of foreign 

influence from the emerging art. Of these, 

the elder Palgwe and Yudanja series 

poomsae, created between 1965 and 

1967, were intended to test the proficiency 

of color belt or gup level students, and dan 

or black belt practitioners, respectively. 

Partially inspired by the Pinan/Heian kata, 

the eight Palgwe poomsae reflect 

philosophical doctrines culled from the 

ancient Book of Changes or the I Ching 

and tend to emphasize low stances 

amplified by a variety of effective hand 

techniques. Moreover, technical 

components increase in complexity as they 

advance from one form to the next 

providing an effective barometer for rank 

advancement. Likewise, the Yudanja 

poomsae were crafted concurrent with the

Palgwe set and at the time included 

Original Koryo, Keumgang, Taebaek, 

Pyongwon, Sipjin, Jitae, Cheonkwon, 

Hansoo and Ilyo, the latter eight of which 

continue to be sanctioned by the Kukkiwon 

and World Taekwondo Federation today. 

Aside from their technical diversity, the 

Yudanja set follow lines 

of motion described by 

Chinese and Korean 

characters that depict the 

philosophical concept 

characterized by each 

poomsae and contain 

advanced techniques 

unique to the dan grade 

holder. The committee 

members participating in 

the formation of the 

Palgwe and Yudanja 

poomsae consisted of 

kwan representatives 

Keun Sik Kwak (Chung 

Do Kwan), Young Sup 

Lee (Song Moo Kwan), 

Kyo Yoon Lee (Han Moo 

Kwan), Hae Man 

Park (Chung Do Kwan), 

Jong Myung Hyun (Oh Do 

Kwan), Soon Bae Kim 

(Chang Moo Kwan) and Chong Woo Lee 

(Ji Do Kwan). 

Nevertheless, Tae Kwon Do is the child of 

The Kukkiwon in Seoul, South Korea 

Master Doug Cook practices Original 

Koryo at Bulguksa Temple, South Korea 

change and has continued to evolve in 

complexity since its inception during the 

tumultuous midpoint of the twentieth 

century. Even today, technical 

enhancements are evident at almost every 

training venue one visits in Korea, the 

homeland of the art; whether it is at 

universities offering 

taekwondology as a 

major, or the Kukkiwon, 

center of taekwondo 

operations worldwide, the 

quest for modernization 

proceeds unabated. And 

so, it should come as no 

surprise that less than a 

decade after the 

introduction of the Palgwe 

set it was decided by 

committee to generate a 

new and innovative series 

of formal exercises in 

conjunction with a vastly 

revised version of Original 

Koryo. 

Born in 1972, the 

Taegeuk poomsae by 

decree effectively 

replaced the existing 

Palgwe set. This significant modification in 

the Tae Kwon Do curriculum of the time is 

thought to have been politically-oriented 

inasmuch as the Moo Duk Kwan was not 


epresented during the 

formulation of the Palgwe 

series. Yet in a practical 

sense, the Taegeuk 

poomsae were exceptional 

in that they contained the 

upright high forward or 

walking stance and featured 

a greater percentage of 

kicking techniques than 

their forerunners. Moreover, 

as Tae Kwon Do began to 

evolve into a combat sport 

with Olympic aspirations, a 

method was required to 

teach and support the 

upright fighting stance used 

in sparring competition and 

these new poomsae 

satisfied that need. If 

viewed from above, the 

pattern of movements within 

these forms trace the 

Chinese symbol for “king”. 

Bearing the namesake of the Korean flag, 

the Taegeuk patterns share philosophical 

principles running parallel to those of the 

Palgwe series based on the powers or 

elements of the Universe. 

Concurrently 

with the creation 

of the Taegeuk 

series, Original 

Koryo was 

superseded by 

an intricate, new 

p o o m s a e 

bearing the 

same name. 

O p e n i n g 

dramatically with 

a knife hand 

block in back 

stance quickly 

followed by two 

sides kicks of varying height, Kukki Koryo 

poomsae was deemed appropriately 

challenging for the black belt holder and a 

worthy vehicle to gauge proficiency for 

promotion to 2 nd dan. Overseeing the 


Poomsae Seminar in New York with 

Kukkiwon Grandmaster Jong Beom 

Park 

Master Cook and students practicing poomsae 

at the Kukkiwon in Korea 

developmental process of 

Kukki Koryo and the 

Taegeuk series was Keun 

Sik Kwak (Chung Do Kwan), 

Young Sup Lee (Song Moo 

Kwan), Kyo Yoon Lee (Han 

Moo Kwan), Hae Man 

Park (Chung Do Kwan), 

Jong Myung Hyun (Oh Do 

Kwan), Soon Bae Kim 

(Chang Moo Kwan) and 

Chong Woo Lee (Ji Do 

Kwan) with the addition of 

Young Ki Bae (Ji Do Kwan) 

and Young Tae Han (Moo 

Duk Kwan). Certainly, over 

the years, other patterns 

were created by first and 

second generation 

grandmasters including the 

seven Chil Sung hyung of 

Moo Duk Kwan Soo Bahk Do 

and the eighteen Songham 

formal exercises of ATA Tae 

Kwon Do that reflect slightly divergent 

styles of Korean martial arts. 

Today, the required performance of 

poomsae, hyung or tul by Korean stylists, 

except for those 

engaged in the 

practice of ITF 

Taekwon-Do, 

varies greatly 

from organization 

to organization 

and school to 

school. Based on 

the 1970s edict 

by Kukkiwon that 

the Taegeuk 

series eclipse the 

Palgwe set 

completely, a 

vast majority of 

master instructors 

sadly jettisoned the latter in favor of the 

former altogether. Likewise, the original 

iteration of Koryo was replaced by the 

radically different version currently 

sanctioned by the World Taekwondo

Federation, Kukkiwon and the Korea 

Taekwondo Association. Nevertheless, 

schools supporting a classical approach to 

training frequently include both the Palgwe 

set and what has now come to be known 

as Original Koryo in their present syllabus. 

Moreover, as an 

adjunct to the 

traditional curriculum, 

many poomsae or 

hyung, with a direct 

lineage to their 

Japanese/Okinawan 

and Chinese kin are 

included as well. 

Although altered 

somewhat to suit the 

basic parameters of 

Tae Kwon Do, we 

see evidence of this 

fact with the inclusion 

of formal exercises 

such as Balsek 

(Bassai), Chil-Ki 

(Tekki/Nihanji), 

Yunbee (Empi), Sip 

Soo (Jitte) and Jion, 

to name a few. 

Yet, just as the eum/ 

yang or the duality of opposites predicts, 

formal exercise practice symbolizes a 

danger that cuts both ways; forfeiting 

poomsae training altogether in favor of 

strategies that focus exclusively on sport 

sparring represents a tragedy of grand 

proportions in denying the practitioner to 

experience the myriad benefits associated 

with the process. Likewise, attempting to 

master every pattern within the lexicon of 

Kukki and traditional Tae Kwon Do could, 

potentially, be of equal disservice since an 

in-depth analysis or hae sul of the practical 

applications embedded in the form may 

become blurred or ignored altogether. After 

all, as Funakoshi was fond of saying, “The 

old masters used to keep a narrow field but 

plough a deep furrow.” 

In many circles today, it is said that if the 

traditional methods of teaching Tae Kwon 

Grandmaster Chun performs Chul-Ki Cho Dan for 

Chosun Taekwondo Academy students 

Do are to be preserved, it will occur in the 

West. This statement is partially based on 

the fact that major founders of the art no 

longer reside within the borders of Korea, 

but have long ago relocated here and 

abroad. Moreover, there exist a vast 

number of 

instructors outside 

the homeland of 

Tae Kwon Do who 

favor the practice of 

formal exercises 

coupled with 

practical selfd 

e f e n s e 

techniques, both 

hallmarks of 

traditional Tae 

Kwon Do, over 

Olympic-style 

sparring and martial 

arts practice merely 

as a path to 

physical fitness. 

Clearly, it is this 

group who will 

safeguard the rich 

heritage of 

traditional Tae Kwon 

Do and act as fertile 

ground for the conservation and continued 

cultivation of the formal exercises unique to 

the art. 

This article is an excerpt from Taekwondo 

Poomsae: Original & Kukki Koryo, to be 

published by YMAA in 2013 

Master Doug Cook, a 5 th dan black belt, is head 

instructor of the Chosun Taekwondo Academy 

located in Warwick, New York, a senior student of 

Grandmaster Richard Chun, and author of three 

best-selling books entitled: Taekwondo…Ancient 

Wisdom for the Modern Warrior, Traditional 

Taekwondo - Core Techniques, History and 

Philosophy, and his most recent contribution, 

Taekwondo–A Path to Excellence, focusing on the 

rewards and virtues of tae kwon do, published by 

YMAA of Boston. Master Cook and Grandmaster 

Chun have just completed a new book on Original 

and Kukki Koryo poomsae targeted for publication 

in 2012. Master Cook can be reached for lectures, 

seminars or workshops at www.chosuntkd.com or 

info@chosuntkd.com. 



Seen in many forms, the elbow smash is a 

very effective close range weapon, at least 

until you try to pull it off in the way it forms 

show it. 

How exactly do you reach out and grab 

somebody close enough to hit him without 

getting hit in the process? You may have 

discovered on your own that your so called 

"middle block" is largely ineffective in 

stopping the most common type of punch 

the roundhouse "haymaker". The attackers 

elbow tends to just bend around the 

blocking arm striking you anyway. In 

addition, you are pitting your weaker 

shoulder musculature (external rotators, 

deltoids) against his much stronger chest 

muscles (pectorals). 

Actually you can get it to work, but not in 

the way that you were taught. 

Historically, in many instances, it has been 

the nature of forms to sort of "smooth out" 

or stylize the performance of a technique 

for primarily esthetic reasons, often 

degrading functionality. Obviously this 

didn't matter to those who knew the 

application, but was confusing to those 

following the form literally. 

So, with a few minor adjustments in our 

approach, we can gain much in the way of 

effectiveness, and our own protection. 

As the punch comes in, instead of sticking 

our arm out as in a middle block, we 

extend it slightly higher, further forward, 

and enter inside the radius of the attacking 

arm. The goal is to catch his arm high up 

on our triceps muscle. 

Elbow Attack 

-Triceps Triceps entry 

By Richard Conceicao 

This reception not only keeps you inside 

the line of attack, it engages your stronger 

back musculature (latissimus dorsi) to 

prevent your opponent from trying to force 

his way past your blocking arm. 

Drop your arm down to his shoulder or 

behind his head if possible and grip. 


This will essentially lock out the attacking 

arm. At this point initiate your elbow attack. 

The usual instructions concerning elbow 

attacks apply: 

- The “gripping” hand is primarily for 

establishing range and only mild 

stabilization. 

- You do not pull the head to the elbow; 

you move the elbow to the head. 

- The striking surface is the proximal third 

of the forearm, that is the bony 3” (7-8 cm) 

closest to elbow tip. 

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However you will note an important 

distinction in the above photo-the elbow is 

striking above the level of the hand, not in 

the same plane as performed in the forms. 

CAUTIONARY NOTE: the purpose of the 

asymmetrical strike may seem 

counterintuitive because we assume that 

catching the head in a vise like grip will do 

more damage. It won’t. It actually serves to 

stabilize the head, minimizing damage 

aside from that derived from blunt trauma. 

Striking in two different planes tends to 

damage the head and neck by 

overextending the neck and potentially 

displacing the positions of the cervical 

vertebrae. This is extremely dangerous 

and can potentially cause permanent 

paralysis, or worse. The thick skull protects 

the head; the neck has no such protective 

layer. Please be careful in practice 

Richard Conceicao would like to thank and 

acknowledge Mr. Tom O’Connell as uke, and 

Mr. Bob Adams for his photography. 

Richard can be reached for questions or 

comments at 

richard@returningwavesystems.com

The ITF Encyclopaedia calls the double 

forearm block (doo palmok makgi) “one of 

the strongest forms of blocking” (Vol. 3, p. 

224). 

To perform the double forearm block, 

which is usually done in a walking stance, 

you reach both your arms behind you so 

that the front arm cross over your body and 

your rear arm is lifted up behind you. Then 

jerk both arms simultaneously forward to 

block. The arms swipe across your body at 

an approximate 30-40° angle. The front 

arm will block your opponent's attacking 

tool with the inner forearm—with the hand, 

palm facing up, closed into a strong fist at 

the moment of contact, usually at eye level. 

The rear arm should be brought forward so 

that the “second knuckle of the little finger” 

press against the “elbow at the moment of 

the block” (Vol. 3, p. 224); the palm of this 

hand also faces up. 

When one look at the block's end position, 

one might be tempted to think that the 

reason this block is considered one of the 

strongest blocks is because the blocking 

arm is supported by the other arm, but this 

is merely an optical illusion. The non- 

Thoughts on the 

Double Forearm Block 

By Sanko Lewis 

blocking arm is very lightly pressing 

against the blocking arm and only with the 

“second knuckle of the little finger” against 

the “elbow at the moment of the block,” as 

seen in the close-up photo. The support 

provided by the knuckle of the little finger is 

negligible. The reason the other arm is 

brought up is rather as a guarding or ready 

position from where one can “quickly shift 

[that] forearm into another block while still 

blocking with the [first]” (Vol. 3, p. 224). 

The next photo shows how the hand that 

was brought forward is brought into play to 

block a second attack. 


Visually, the only differences between the 

inner forearm outward block (movements 

#7 and #11 in the pattern Yul-Gok) and the 

double forearm block (movements #37 and 

#38 in the same pattern) is that the 

outward block has the 'reaction arm' pulled 

back to its customary place at the side of 

the hip, while the double forearm block has 

the other arm brought forward just in case 

it is required for a secondary block. 

Bringing the other arm forward with the 

double forearm block does not contribute 

substantially to the force of the technique. 

The blocking tools of the double forearm 

block and the inner forearm outward block 

end at basically the same position; 

however, the paths they travel to get there 

are quite different. 


What makes the double forearm block “one 

of the strongest forms of blocking” has less 

to do with bringing the other hand forward 

and more to do with the angle at which the 

block intercepts the opponent's attack. 

A double forearm block intercepts the 

attack at a more head-on angle, while an 

inner forearm outward block intercepts the 

attack much more perpendicularly. 

(Note: The vector illustrations show 

generalised estimations, not exact angles.) 

Approximate angles of interception against an 

incoming attack. The red arrow on the left intercepts 

the attack perpendicularly. 

Illustration 1 (viewed from above) shows 

on the left the vector of an attack (black) 

moving towards the defender. The first red 

arrow (left) shows how a perpendicular 

defence would intercept such an attack. 

There are very few blocks in Taekwon-Do 

that intercept attacks in this way. An 

example would be the side-front inner 

forearm blocks in the pattern Hwa-Rang 

(movements #26 and #27) or the middle 

front block (movement #24) in the pattern 

Choong-Moo. Instead, blocks usually 

intercept the attack at an angle as depicted 

by the red arrow on the right, in Illustration 

1. Most other blocks, for instance the 

blocks in the Chon-Ji, tend to intercept an 

attack, not completely perpendicularly, but 

rather at a somewhat off-angle. Consider a 

typical inner forearm outward block: While 

the angle of a typical outward block is not 

completely perpendicular, the weight of the 

force is more perpendicular, i.e. towards 

the left in Illustration 1, than forward. This

is not the case with the double forearm 

block as you can notice in the next 

illustration. 

Approximate angles of interception of an outward 

block (left) and double forearm block (right) against 

an incoming attack. 

Illustration 2 shows the angle of 

interception of a typical outward block on 

the left, compared to the angle of 

interception of a double forearm block on 

the right. What you will notice is that the 

outward block's interception leans more 

towards a perpendicular interception, while 

the double forearm block's interception is 

much more head-on. Illustration 3 shows 

the angle of interception of a double 

forearm block (left) and the vectors of an 

actual head-on collision (centre). 

Approximate angles of interception of an incoming 

attack. The central arrows depict a 'head-on' collision 

of the attacker's attacking tool and the defender's 

blocking tool. 

Such a head-on collision of forces may be 

imagined as the defender punching the 

attacker's punch, like we might see in a Jet 

-Li film where he punches his opponent's 

punches, so that the angle of vectors 

correspond, but the direction of the vectors 

are exactly opposite. What we have then is 

a good example of Newton's Law of Motion 

regarding Reaction Force, where two 

forces moving in opposite directions hit 

each other resulting in a combined force 

equal to the sum of the original two forces. 

Such a head-on collision of one's blocking 

tool with the attacker's attacking tool is 

never advised because the culmination of 

forces could cause serious injury to 

yourself. (You might break your own fist!) 

Furthermore, trying to stop the incoming 

attack from the front is much more difficult 

because the attack's surface area tends to 

be smaller from the front (the front of a fist 

is a smaller area to block than the side of 

an arm) and it is more difficult to judge the 

distance of something coming straight at 

you. For these reasons, blocks generally 

intercept attacks at an angle from the side, 

rather than straight from the front. The 

angle helps to deflect the attack's forward 

force, changing it's direction away from 

your vital spots. What is interesting to note, 

however, is that the less perpendicular the 

block is, in other words the more “head-on” 

it is, the harder it is; the reason being the 

culmination of the two opposing forces. On 

the other hand, if the block is too “headon”, 

it might easily miss the target or slip 

pass the target as depicted on the right in 

Illustration 3. 

What makes the double forearm block “one 

of the strongest forms of blocking” is its 

ability to intercept the attack while 

maintaining a loaded amount of forward 

force; there is definitely more forward force 

than perpendicular force, contrary to a 

normal outward block where the 

perpendicular force outweighs the forward 

force. Also, the double forearm block 

travels a longer path in which to gain more 

momentum than most other blocks. 

(Unfortunately this makes the execution 

time slower.) 

Although I have adamantly argued at the 

beginning of this post, based on the ITF 


Encyclopaedia, that the purpose of the non 

-blocking hand in a double forearm block is 

not to support the blocking arm, but merely 

to bring the hand up in case it is needed as 

a secondary block, I foresee that it can 

actually have a support function. If you are 

to use the double forearm block and the 

attack were to push against your forearm, it 

is feasible that your blocking arm might tilt 

in such a way that it pushes against your 

"supporting" fist. While the non-blocking 

arm does not actually contribute to the 

force of the block, it could under certain 

circumstances have an augmenting 

support function. It is for this reason that 

the double forearm block is sometimes 

referred to as the “augmented block.” 

An interesting observation about the 

double forearm block is that in the patterns 

it is always done while stepping forward, 

never as a retreating technique. Also, in 

the patterns it is never (as far as I know) 

performed at middle section. In the 

patterns it is generally performed at high 

section in a walking stance, and 

occasionally at low section, but then only 

as a pushing block, usually in an L-stance. 

The ITF Encyclopaedia shows some 

examples of the double forearm block 

being used at middle section, so clearly it 

can be used at that height. That the 

patterns should only employ it at high 

section while stepping forward may 

suggest a strategic use for the double 

forearm block, which, unfortunately, is not 

If your reading this ... 

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explained in the encyclopaedia, but is 

worth exploring. One application I use it for 

is to block high kicks. When used against 

high kicks the forward nature of the block 

helps to unbalance the opponent. 

Students are usually introduced to the 

double forearm block for the first time at 

5th geup when they learn the pattern Yul- 

Gok, which concludes with two double 

forearm blocks. The previous pattern, Won 

-Hyo, concludes with two forearm guarding 

blocks. Interestingly the forearm guarding 

block works in much the same way as the 

double forearm block, intercepting the 

opponent's attack at a similar angle, with 

similar mechanics at play. It would seem 

that these two patterns cover some of the 

same principles. 

…ooOoo… 

Sanko Lewis, 4th Dan in ITF Taekwon-Do and 

black belt holder in Hapkido, is director of Research 

-and-Education for South Africa-ITF (SA-ITF) 

[www.taekwondo.co.za]. He is Kwanjangnim of the 

Soo Shim Kwan (a federation affiliated to the SA- 

ITF) and is an instructor at the main ITF Taekwon- 

Do gym in Seoul, Korea 

[www.thewaymartialarts.com]. He works at a 

university in Seoul where he teaches subjects in 

English literature, academic literacy, and applied 

language and has a master’s degree in Creative 

Writing. Mr. Lewis can be contacted at 

saitf.research.education@gmail.com. Visit his blog 

at http://sooshimkwan.blogspot.com 

*Based on March, 2011 issue downloads

100 Taekwon-Do Taekwon Do Things 

To Be Happy About 

Many of the 

times they don’t 

seem like things 

you should be 

happy about until 

you don’t have 

them anymore, or 

until you are a 

higher rank and 

you look back 

and remember 

being a lower belt 

and the small 

things that turned 

out to be a big 

impact. Inspired 

by the book 1400 Things to be Happy 

About, I have listed 100 Taekwon-Do 

Things to be Happy About, and I hope that 

as you go through this list, you will identify 

with them and perhaps come up with more 

of your own Taekwon-Do Things to be 

Happy About. 

1. When you memorize a pattern in one 

day 

2. Walking barefoot on hot concrete 

3. When you think you’re late for class but 

you’re not 

4. Watching beginners practice and 

remembering when you were just like 

them 

5. The night before a big Demo 

6. Earning the last point of a sparring 

match 

7. When that annoying kid who won’t stop 

by Patricia DeArmas, ITF 2nd Dan 

Much of the time, you take what happens during your Taekwon-Do 

class and the Taekwon-Do things in your daily lives for granted. It isn’t 

until you stop and think of all the little things that their simple yet 

profoundly important occurrences seem so special. 

talking grows into 

a great black belt 

8. Being called 

“the best student 

so far” 

9. Wearing your 

dobok in the 

grocery store 

10. The day you 

realize that you 

love Taekwon-Do 

11. Naming your 

own do-jang 

12. Seeing the 

white belt who 

was so hard to 

teach pass their test 

13. 30-second drink breaks 

14. Sparring even though you have a 

bruised shin 

15. Jumping off the wall to kick a pad 

16. Breaking a board you didn’t think you 

could 

17. Being glad you wore your mouthpiece 

18. Seeing your instructor walk through the 

airport with no shoes 

19. Fresh air in the do-jang 

20. Blocking a punch to the face 

21. Going to class after a bad day 

22. Losing by split-decision against 

someone really good 

23. Watching a Ho Sin Sul 

24. Being handed a trophy at the end-of-the 

-year award ceremony 

25. First place at a practice tournament 

26. Waking up early to watch the World 


Championships live online 

27. The students who you’ve practiced with 

since the beginning 

28. When a white belt hits a kicking shield 

and knocks you down 

29. The Happy Birthday song in Korean 

30. When grass stains come out of your 

uniform 

31. Sparring someone really tough 

32. When your instructor watches you do 

your pattern 

33. Trying to get a perfect score on your 

test 

34. The day the Encyclopedia of Taekwon- 

Do came in the mail 

35. Reading a Taekwon-Do magazine first 

thing in the morning 

36. A T-shirt with your do-jang’s logo on it 

37. A gold medal around your neck 

38. Teaching your very first class 

39. The first time you were senior to your 

class 

40. Remembering all the warm-up 

exercises 

41. Tumble-roll break falls at the beginning 

of class 

42. Knowing your required knowledge for 

all the belt grades 

43. When your 1 st dan black belt is tied 

around your waist 

44. Practicing alone on Thanksgiving 

45. Christmas presents for your instructor 

46. Looking for cool Taekwon-Do stuff 

online 

47. Keeping your hands warm during an 

outdoor class in the mountains 

48. Attending class even though it’s so hot 

out that your sweat evaporated 


49. Pinning an opponent to the ground 

during self-defense training 

50. Finally figuring out how to do a tricky 

release 

51. Students that are happy to come to 

class 

52. Training where it’s so cold your 

sparring gear freezes 

53. Little kids laughing as your instructor 

swings them by the arms after class 

54. Helping to put away the pads after 

class 

55. Wearing your martial arts shoes to a 

party 

56. Getting Taekwon-Do clothes for 

Christmas 

57. When you do better than/as good as 

someone you admire 

58. Doing flying side kicks over tall objects 

59. Red-and-black belt classes 

60. Being the only person who is not 

complaining in class 

61. Technical technique info 

62. Peeling up the tape used to mark off 

rings at an in-school tournament 

63. Sparring someone who’s really bossy 

64. Good stances 

65. Being the first one at the do-jang 

66. Butterfly stretches, the Chinese splits, 

and reaching to touch your toes

67. Someone holding your toes up while 

you lay your stomach on the floor 

68. Korean “Chicken Fighting” 

69. Realizing that your test wasn’t worth all 

the nervousness 

70. When you don’t get nervous during 

tests and competition 

71. Getting out of push-up position 

72. Advice from great practitioners 

73. Getting an email back from 

accomplished martial artists 

74. Updates on your organization’s website 

75. The ride in the car to class 

76. Hearing other students speak highly of 

you 

77. Boosting the confidence of another 

practitioner 

78. Having to do your pattern over… and 

over…. and over again 

79. Finally figuring out how to get snap on 

a rising block 

80. Uniforms that are slightly too big 

81. Spontaneously throwing turning kicks in 

the middle of a conversation 

82. Doing Po-Eun in the outdoor isle at Wal 

-Mart 

83. Recovering from the air being knocked 

out of you 

84. Belts wearing out from age 

85. The vital spots of the human body 

sketched onto a bedroom door 

86. Four straight hours of Taekwon-Do 

87. When your hurt finger heals so that you 

can make a fist again 

88. Taekwon-Do music video mash-ups 

89. Your collection of testing certificates 

90. Too many sit-ups 

91. When your instructor says that 

everyone should be doing as good a 

job as you 

92. Holding the final movement of Dan-Gun 

for what seems like a hour 

93. Practicing Taekwon-Do with family 

members 

94. Watching a black belt test 

95. Taekwon-Do blogs 

96. Purchasing belts for your students 

97. Writing about Taekwon-Do and having 

people read it 

98. Your footsword, ball-of-the-foot, heel, 

and instep 

99. Your knife-hand, reverse knife-hand, 

palm, and fingertips 

100. April 11 th , 1955 

About the Author: Patricia 

DeArmas is a 2 nd dan black belt in 

ITF Taekwon-Do and is a selfproclaimed 

Taekwon-Doaholic. 

She’s trained in two locations and 

recently opened her own small dojang 

for homeschooled kids. In 

addition to Taekwon-Do, she has 

begun to train in Doce Pares 

Eskrima. She likes to write about 

martial arts on her blogs, 

www.martialartsgirl.wordpress.com 

and www.besttkd.wordpress.com. 



The Efficiency Of Movement 

By Henry Anchando 

Photo’s Courtesy of Master Dennis ‘Mac’ McHenry & Elaina McHenry 

In regards to the Efficiency and Movement within the martial arts its 

best to define each word as applies to their relationship. Firstly 

“Efficiency is performing or functioning in the least wasteful manner” 

and “Movement is to change from one position to another”. Keep this 

in mind as I explain why a specific strike or block is at its most 

efficient for executing. 

The starting position of any given movement is dependent on where the body is at the 

time of execution. Thus the efficiency of the movement is impacted by the driving forces 

of the body at the time of execution. 

Example 1 

For instance in example 1: a 2 punch and kick combo, efficiency calls for the first punch 

be delivered from the reverse position, i.e. the right leg forward and left punch first, 

followed by a right punch and then either a left crescent kick or a roundhouse kick to the 

head. Each time the punch is delivered the hips rotate in sequence with the punch. If you 

get into the habit of coming up on the balls of your feet, the hip rotates with the arm at 

each extension because that’s the natural response of the anatomy as we move our 

arms. 

The reason this is the most efficient movement is because of the body’s anatomy and the 

position of the hips for optimum excursion of the leg during the kick. With the left leg back 

and the hips already positioned for a back leg kick, no further positioning is required for 

the kick to be executed at its maximum force. 

Another example (example 2 - on the next page) of this, would be in the 2 strike combo 

executed during a back fist to the bridge of the nose followed by an immediate fore fist 

strike to the face by simply extending the fist as you internally rotate the fist. This 

movement takes advantage of the initial position of the half extended arm during the 

delivery of the back fist strike and delivers another strike to the target area without 



Example 2 

repositioning the hips by simply completing the full extension of the arm. 

The final example (example 3) of efficiency of movement is with a more complex 

combination of strikes and kicks. 

Example 3 

The previous set-up applies here also in the execution of a spinning crescent kick. You 

begin with the reverse punch, followed by a straight punch and then immediately follow 

with a back spinning crescent kick. Again the position of the hips is optimal for the spin 

and thus the delivery of the kick. 

In our dojo we stress the importance of knowing why a particular strike or kick is more 

efficient, and thus more powerful. Knowing when your body is at its most optimum 

position for the next move allows you to develop a variety of strikes and punches to have 

at ready when you need them. 

Totally Tae Kwon Do magazine would like to thank Master Dennis McHenry, his daughter Elaina 

and Dr. Ricardo Pardo, for taking photo’s for this article, at extremely short notice, so we could 

run it in this months issue. Master McHenry is unrelated to the articles writer in any way, shape or 

form and as such his personal views may differ. He provided the photographs for a visual 

representation of the article only, for our readers. For further information on Master McHenry 

please visit www.sungshilkwan.com

Whats The Point? 

Tong-Il Tong Il Movements 41 & 42 

By Paul O’Leary 

In this article we are looking at the two W-shaped blocks with the outer forearm found in 

the final pattern of Chang Hon TKD, Tong IL tul. Usually this is said to be blocking against 

two attackers on either side of us. But I’d like to present a different view on this sequence 

to you based on one attacker. 

1 2 3 

4 

Pic 1, 2 & 3 - Show the movements in the pattern. 

Pic 5 - As we side step 

again to move into the next 

sitting stance we get the 

chance to hit the attacker 

on the neck with a hammer 

fist strike at SI-16 (see over) on the side of the neck or on 

the jaw whichever option is open to us at the time. 

Pic 4 - The attacker comes at us with a grabbing motion 

and we step out 45 degrees to the attack and open out our 

arms in the W-Shaped block so as to take the power away 

from the grab, also by stepping to the side we unbalance 

the attacker to some degree. 

5 

In this picture I am striking 

the inside of the attackers 

right wrist at LI-6 and higher 

up the left arm with my right 

ulna bone. 



Pic 6 - Sliding out to the 

next sitting stance we 

strike to the back of the 

head. This time with our 

left forearm and hitting with 

the end of the ulna bone 

by the wrist, possibly into 

GB-20 if it has become 

available after us hitting 

the attacker on SI-16 

already. 

GB-20 

Of course you could skip 

the second strike I have 

shown here and in reality 

the speed of the attack will dictate how you 

perform this application and so just two strikes 

Si-16 

from the defender could finish the encounter. 

We could also look at following on with movements 43 and 44/45. Which could bring us 

back across the attackers right arm to execute an armbar and downward elbow strike 

similar to the application I have shown you previously for the regular W-Shaped block 

(movement 43). Then using movement 44 and 45 to strike and knock the attacker to the 

ground. 

By the way this article is a response to a request by my attacker, Mr. Andrew Green 3rd 

Degree United Tae Kwon-Do International – Ireland, and fellow member of the Blarney 

TKD club. 

Paul o’Leary, 5th Dan Tae Kwon-Do and 2nd Dan in Prof Rick Clark’s AoDenkouJitsu, is the 

Head Instructor of Rebel Martial Arts and the National Co-ordinator for Prof. Rick Clark’s 

AoDenkouKai in Ireland. To contact him about seminars on Pressure points, Patten applications 

or Self Defence with Prof Clark or himself please call 00-353-86-3545032 or email: 

adkeire@gmail.com . Mr. O’Leary is also a point of contact for interested parties who wish to train 

within the United Tae Kwon-Do International syllabus under Grandmaster Karel Van Orsouw. 

6 

Www.pioneertkd.com

Interpretation of 

Kukki Taekwondo Patterns 

By Dr. Ubong Umoh 

Modern Taekwondo traces its origin far beyond masters Lee Won Kuk, 

Chun Sang Sup, Yoon Pyung In, Hwang Kee, Yoon Kwe Pyung, Ro 

Pyong Chik, and General Choi Hong Hi to name a few of recent living 

memory, to the fighting arts of Taekyun, Soo Bahk Do and the fearless 

Hwarang warriors of the ancient Silla kingdom of Korea, and many 

have unearthed documentary evidence to support these links. 

Japanese karate in turn traces its lineage through different masters 

from Gichin Funakoshi, Mabuni Kenwa, Toyama Kanken, to Itosu 

Yasutsune, Azato Yasutsune, Chibana Chashin, Higashionna Kanryo, 

Aragaki Yasukishi to name a few, who in turn are the products of the 

different styles of Okinawa-te and ultimately sharing common DNA with 

fighting methods like the White Crane or Monk Fist from ancient China. 

These older methods share a common 

thread as they were less specialized 

fighting methods compared to today’s 

martial arts, and most of their students 

were engaged in different levels of cross 

training to broaden their scope and 

knowledge. They also share another 

common link. In those days, these 

practitioners were readily exposed to 

hazardous situations where ample 

opportunity existed to prove or disprove the 

superiority of their fighting theories 

ultimately surviving a thousand battles and 

later transmitting such knowledge to future 

generations, and the fact that these arts 

exist in present day is living confirmation of 

this. 

In eons of human existence, people have 

always survived either by waging warfare 

on others or by resisting violent attacks 

using self-defense methods which 

ultimately employ strikes, sweeps, kicks, 

head-butts that utilize the unique anatomy, 

physique, joint alignment, flexibility, axis of 

movement within the human body. There 

may be hundreds of vital points on the 

body surface but the human body is limited 

to only tens of different ways to attack and 

manipulate these weak areas, implying that 

all forms of fighting are basically similar in 

different geographical areas. The sheer 

number of hundreds of patterns and their 

thousands of fighting sequences only serve 

to perpetuate the myths that each art is 

intrinsically different from each other and 

may have originated in a distant planet, 

where-as careful dissection of the 

techniques reveals otherwise…a throw is a 

throw is a throw…as the end result is the 

dashing of the opponent’s body against the 

hard surface of the ground. The same 

applies to the so-called fighting strategies 

which are not so dissimilar when placed 

under the microscope of rational analysis. 

In free fighting or combat the protagonists 

rapidly engage and adapt their fighting 

methods to achieve victory such as when 

the grappler seizes the opportunity to strike 

his foe rather than taking the fight to the 

ground or the striker subdues his 


challenger in a painful joint lock or hold when the opportunity for such technique arose 

rather than engaging in an exchange of kicks and blows. 

Below examples taken from sequences of two forms recognize by Kukki Taekwondo 

namely Poomse Taegeuk Yuk Jang and Poomse Keumgang. 


Poomse Taegeuk Yuk’ Jang 

Steps 16-19

Steps 16-19 Interpretation 

This sequence reveals a surprise attack 

from behind as an opponent grabs you in a 

rear bear hug. Stun him first with a rear 

head butt and drop low in a horse back 

stance spreading your arms apart to 

loosen his hold. 

Grab his left hand in both hands and twist it 

downwards to the side as you spin around 

90 degrees through your left side ending 

up behind him in a left back stance. Smash 

your left knife-hand into the Brain Door 

point on the back of his head. 

Spin him around 180 degrees to face you 

and grab his right arm with your left hand 

as you step backwards into a right back 

stance. Chop the Protuberance Assistance 

point on the right side of his neck with your 

reverse right knife-hand dazing him. 

Grab his left 

shoulder in 

your right hand 

pulling him offbalance 

as you 

step back 

again with your 

right foot into a 

left front 

stance. Slap 

his right ear 


hard with your left palm bursting his eardrum 

and smash your right hook punch 

into his solar plexus. 

Step back 

again with 

your left 

foot into a 

right front 

stance 

dragging 

him along 

and slap 

his left ear 

hard with 

your right 

hand bursting the second ear-drum. 


Finish him off with a powerful left punch 

into his solar plexus.

This sequence depicts a scene with an 

enemy who grabs you in a rear headlock 

with his hands clasped together behind 

your head trapping your arms . Push your 

arms above your head and throw your 

body forwards through a 90 degrees left 

turning arc lifting your right foot . 

Stomp it hard into the ground as you sink 

into a horse back stance at the end of your 

turn delivering a stunning rear head-butt to 

his face . 

This generates great reaction force from 

the ground multiplied by the force 

generated by dropping your elbows and 

Poomse Keumgang 

Steps 11-13 

weight hard against his arms to break his 

grip. 

As you free yourself, 

grab his hands from 

behind in 

yours ,throwing his 

arms over his head 

as you spin him 

around through a 180 

degrees right turn. 

This maneuver ends 

with his back now 

turned to you and his 

arms locked behind 

him in your double 

grip. 


Sweep his right leg from behind with your 

left foot while controlling his right arm in 

yours and smash your left hammer-fist 

down into the Jade Pillow vital point behind 

his left ear as he falls. 


Dr. Ubong Umoh lives in the island of Jamaica 

in the Caribbean and has practised Taekwondo 

over the past 30 years. He has studied in detail 

the 26 patterns of Kukki Taekwondo and is in 

the process of publishing a book explaining the 

different techniques in each Poomse. This 

article is the original work of the author and 

further email correspondence may be made to 

him at uumoh@yahoo.com

Physiological Responses Of 

Children To Exercise Series (4) 

Exercise Exercise Response Response of of Children Children Relative Relative To To 

Adults Adults in in Temperatures & & Conclusion 

Conclusion 

By Tristan Vardy (B. Hons. Sport Science) 

Exercise Response of Children Relative to Adults in Temperatures 

Exercising in the heat 

Part 4 

This is the concluding instalment by Sabum-nim Tristian Vardy in this 

series on the physiological responses of children to exercise. 

This final instalment comprises of two 

parts. In the first part, Sabum-nim Tristian 

looks at the differences between children 

and adults regarding responses to 

temperature during exercise. In the 

second part all the previous instalments 

are brought together in a concise 

summary that gives to-the-point tips for 

instructors that teach children, as well as 

their parents 

The table1 below shows the responses of children compared to 

the responses of adults. 

Characteristic 

Response of children 

compared to 

adults 

Cardiac output lower 

Metabolic heat of locomotion higher 

Sweating rate lower 

Sweating threshold higher 

Exercise tolerance time lower 

Rise in core temperature faster 

Acclimatization to heat slow 

Children are therefore at a great disadvantage to adults while training in the heat and 

special note should be taken for Taekwon-Do classes that are mixed with adults and 

children. 


Children are more susceptible 

to heat illness 

Heat illness is a broad term used for 

identifying any heat related injury or 

sickness. There are three main types of 

illnesses, which range in severity. These 

are: 

1.) Heat cramps 1 - An acute condition of 

muscles cramping during exercise. 

2.) Heat syncope - Temporary disorder of 

circulatory malfunction, blood pools in 

the peripheral veins that leads to a 

decrease in cardiac output and causes 

fainting. 

3.) Heat stroke - A serious life threatening 

medical emergency where the core 

temperature of the child rises above 38° 

C, and as much as 40°C. It causes 

hallucinations, vomiting and coma. 

Prevention 

• Allow adequate time for acclimatization 

(10-14 days) 

• Exercise during cooler parts of the day 

(mornings or evenings) 

• Adequately hydrate prior and during 

exercise 

• Wear loose light clothing. The Taekwon- 

Do dobok (uniform) is perfect. 

• Activity for children should be limited to 

periods of 30 minutes or less in 

moderate (24°C) to hot conditions 

especially if there is also a humidity 

factor of 50% or more. 2 

Exercising in the cold 

Children have a larger surface area per 

kilogram of body weight than adults and 

therefore a greater heat loss. To 

compensate for this children have a higher 

degree of vasoconstriction 3 in the periphery 

to protect core temperature. This 

compensatory factor however increases 

the risk of frostbite in the extremities. 

Special attention must be paid to children 


2 children after an intense sparring bout 

when training in the cold and especially 

during outside training if there is a wind 

chill factor. Warm ups and warm downs 

must be done indoors, with the training 

outdoors done whilst facing predominantly 

into the wind. 4 

Series’ conclusion 

As the data from this and previous articles 

in this series shows, children are in fact 

very different to adults. 

The issue of children and exercise is truly a 

complex issue. 

We cannot treat them the same as adults, 

nor expect the same out of them. However, 

they constantly surprise us with their 

willingness, dedication and attitude. 

Recommendations that will assist 

any instructor when dealing with 

and teaching children. 

• Remember that children are very different 

to adults. They need special care and 

attention to the smallest detail. It is better 

to teach children in a separate class than 

adults, no matter how advanced the child 

seems. If that is not possible, children 

should be treated differently to the adults 

in terms of physical and mental demands.

• Instructors should remember that children 

exert themselves more than adults doing 

the same relative workloads. It is 

impossible to expect them to maintain an 

adult’s workload for very long, let alone 

an entire Taekwon-Do class. 

• Children are in actual fact not more 

flexible than adults; they just seem so as 

they generally try harder. Don’t push 

them beyond their limits. 

• Do not allow resistance training for 

children. 

• Do not over-train children. 

• Children should be told to have water on 

a regular basis whilst doing strenuous 

Taekwon-Do classes (30 minute 

intervals) and not asked if they are 

thirsty. 

• Depending on the weather conditions, 

children should be dressed appropriately, 

especially when conducting outdoors 

training. 

• Children’s achievements should always 

be a focal point, not their failures. 

• Make your Taekwon-Do classes 

enjoyable and stimulating, do not 

dominate the children, rather gain their 

respect and maintain discipline. 

• Constantly change the children’s classes 

to keep their minds active. Exhaustion or 

boredom creates an undisciplined 

training environment. 

Enjoy teaching children and do it 

well, for they are the future! 

1 Plowman 1997 

2 Marieb 1995. 

3 Vasoconstriction is the narrowing (constriction) of blood 

vessels. 

4 Plowman 1997 

Resources: 

• MARIEB, E.N., (1995). Human anatomy and 

physiology, Third edition: Pg 10-12, 155-166, 267- 

275, 612-667, 713-780. 

• 

• PLOWMAN, S.A., SMITH, D.L., (1997). Exercise 

physiology: for fitness, health and performance. Pg 

23-29, 47-66, 112-137, 143-162, 178-185, 264-265. 



With such an emphasis on “sport sparring” 

it is easy to overlook the rich vocabulary of 

methods available in your forms. 

Remember, the sport emphasizes 

technical difficulty, and seeks to eliminate 

anything that could seriously harm the 

opponent. To put it simply, if you can’t use 

a technique in a tournament you probably 

want to remember it for the street, and if 

you can use it effectively for street selfdefense, 

you almost certainly can’t use it in 

the tournament. 

With an in depth study of your forms you 

may begin to see things that may have 

been overlooked. In this discussion I would 

like to present a technique that is 

commonly not associated with 

TaeKwonDo, being more familiar with 

Chinese, Philippine, and even Indonesian 

arts, the arm check and trap. 

To illustrate this we will use sequence of 

20-23 as shown on the Kukiwon web page 

of Taegeuk 8. 

This particular sequence is demonstrated 

on the Kukiwon web page as an elbow and 

backfist strike combination. Unfortunately 

this has to be regarded as a base, lowlevel 

explanation. Not only is the distancing 

slightly off, but also the follow up backfist to 

the philtrum is awkward and quite weak 

using only arm musculature to strike. 

Others add a punch as a beginning to the 

sequence, technically more sophisticated, 

but even harder to manage. 

Taeguk 8: 

Arm Arm Trap Trap To To Rolling Rolling Back Back Fist Fist 

By Richard Conceicao 

TaeKwon Do practitioners are often taught that there are a vast 

multitude of individual techniques available to them. I have heard 

numbers that range into the thousands. If that is accurate, where are 

they? They are hidden within the poomse. 

A 

Let us begin with your hand being grabbed 

in a cross hand grab (picture A) in 

preparation for a strike. We start with this 

as it makes the application clearer. Raise 

the elbow of the grabbed arm to deflect the 

incoming punch. Those familiar with Wing 

Chun would recognize this as a Bong Sao. 

With the attack blocked, your free hand 

comes up, grasps the opponents punching 

arm (picture B), and pulls down and 

towards you. This action traps both of his 

arms, destabilizes him, and draws him into 

your counter attack 


B 

Utilizing the “spring” provided by your arm 

tensing against his initial grip (picture C) 

C 

and your sudden release, you snap out 

your backfist (picture D). Your targets 

would be the eye just under the ridge of the 

eyebrow (BL1) or arch of the cheekbone 

(ST3). From there, drop your striking arm 


D 

to ensure that his arms remain trapped, 

and proceed with the second counter 

punch as in the form. 

NOTE: I am using the term “backfist” in 

one of its secondary meanings. The strike 

here is more akin to an “uppercut” motion 

as opposed to the more common 

downward arc. The standard fist formation 

is used under the eyebrow, and the 

extended knuckle (sometimes referred to 

as the “phoenix eye fist”), is used against 

St3. 

CAUTIONARY NOTE: in all probability the 

Kukiwon description of the backfist attack 

to the philtrum is because while painful it 

not very damaging. That is not the case 

with the targets demonstrated above. Do 

not hit these in practice, merely indicate 

them or gently place the attack. 

Richard Conceicao would like to acknowledge 

the assistance of Mr. Tom O’Connell as uke, 

and Mr. Bob Adams for his photography. 

Richard can be reached for questions or 

comments at 

richard@returningwavesystems.com

Who’s Representing You? 

We can! 



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“Given enough time, any man may master the physical. With enough 

knowledge, any man may become wise. It is the true warrior who can 

master both....and surpass the result.” 

- Tien T'ai 


Supreme Master Kim, Bok Man Blocking 

His Senior Student Master Brad Shipp 

Issue 28: 1st June, 2011 

64 - Totally Tae Kwon 


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